Category: The Bangkok Post

The government should wield its legal power to rescue the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) from an alleged lack of unity among commissioners, which is stalling some critical national digital agendas, says a telecom and regulatory law analyst who requested anonymity.

The analyst cited Section 74 of the NBTC Act, which states that the government has the power to ensure the regulator’s management of national resources, including frequencies, remains consistent with cabinet policies.

Moreover, the Digital Economy Act empowers the Office of the National Board of Digital Economy and Society, chaired by the prime minister, to summon the NBTC to receive direct policy instructions.

“Despite its status as an independent regulator, the NBTC is legally bound to align its operations with state policy for the public interest,” the source said.

He said government intervention would ensure the regulator functions as a driver of the government’s digital economy goals.

The NBTC board unanimously approved in principle the draft of the third Digital TV master plan recently, which was awaiting consideration for two years.

Qualification quagmire

Currently, the NBTC board has been plagued by a lack of unity, characterised by a web of lawsuits involving commissioners, including the chairman Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck.

This conflict has resulted in significant delays in broadcasting and telecommunications policy management over the past four years.

Commission leadership has been treading water after Gen Anantaporn Kanjanarat, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Information Communication Technology and Telecommunications (ICT), testified to the NBTC selection committee against Dr Sarana’s qualifications.

On June 19, Gen Anantaporn and eight former members of the Senate ICT committee submitted a comprehensive fact-finding report about Dr Sarana’s qualifications to the NBTC selection committee.

According to this report, Dr Sarana allegedly lacks qualifications under Section 7 (b)(12) and Section 20 (4) of the law.

These provisions prohibit any individual who has served as a director, executive or consultant for a broadcasting or telecom entity within one year prior to their selection as NBTC commissioner from holding a seat on the commission.

A probe revealed that Ramathibodi Hospital at Mahidol University, where Dr Sarana previously held an executive post, holds an NBTC licence to operate the “Rama Channel” TV station.

Other allegations involve articles 8 and 18 of the law. Article 8 states commissioners must not be state officials, employees of state agencies or state enterprises, nor directors or advisers of state enterprises or state agencies.

Furthermore, the report alleged Dr Sarana violated Section 26, which mandates that commissioners serve on a full-time basis. Investigations determined after his appointment to the NBTC post, Dr Sarana allegedly maintains an active medical practice at state and private hospitals.

However, there is documentation confirming Dr Sarana resigned from his academic and medical roles at Mahidol University prior to taking NBTC office.

The analyst said any remaining disputes concerning Dr Sarana should be judged by the Administrative Court, rather than being used as a tool for political pressure.

The analyst said the NBTC chairman’s appointment underwent a rigorous vetting process by a Senate-appointed selection committee. If there were genuine flaws in the vetting process, the responsibility should also lie with the Senate.

The analyst is concerned if Dr Sarana faces scrutiny for his qualifications, in the future someone might raise similar questions about the qualifications of commissioners AM Thanapant Raicharoen and Pirongrong Ramasoota.

Prior to his current post, AM Thanapant was NBTC deputy secretary-general, and the NBTC has its own radio channel.

Mrs Pirongrong was a lecturer at the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, which also has its own radio channel.

Time for Intervention

As national interests are at stake, the analyst said the government should take a more hands-on approach.

He said intervention is vital to fast-track essential projects such as artificial intelligence development, space economy development, the transition to 6G and the expansion of cloud and data centre schemes.

He said the prime minister should announce in parliament additional government policies to solve NBTC problems by citing the NBTC’s internal limitations and lack of cohesion as a risk to national progress, allowing the government to leverage related laws to impose a clear operational framework for the regulator.

“Without such intervention, the NBTC risks becoming a bottleneck for the country’s technological future,” he said.

Thailand has the potential to become a regional artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre hub by 2035, while positioning itself as a manufacturing base for humanoid robots, a leader in green digital infrastructure, and a primary source of AI talent, say pundits and academics.

“We are entering an AI economy,” Djitt Laowattana, executive board member of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and board chairman of the Robotics and AI Committee, said on Monday at the launch of the UTCC AI Institute, a hub for business AI development driven by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s (UTCC) Faculty of Engineering.

He said Thailand should aim to become the AI solution hub for Southeast Asia by focusing on becoming an expert in applying AI to real-world business solutions as 85% of the global AI market is focused on downstream applications rather than upstream development.

“While Thailand is attracting foreign data centre investment from Western and Chinese companies, simply hosting them is not enough to build a true, profitable data industry,” said Mr Djitt.

The government and private sector must encourage these foreign hyperscale data centres to run their AI inference models locally within the country, he noted.

“Running these models locally will generate real business value and protect Thailand’s data sovereignty,” said Mr Djitt.

Moreover, the country can become a manufacturing and service hub for humanoid robots, he said. The cost of industrial robotics has dropped dramatically over the past 30 years, and new government tax incentives are accelerating the adoption of automation and humanoid robots.

With top foreign manufacturers already investing in Thai industrial zones, the country has a unique opportunity to become a regional manufacturing and service hub for humanoid robotics by focusing on creating specialised software platforms such as platforms for healthcare or security to operate these robots, rather than just relying on assembling the hardware.

Mr Djitt said that as AI operations and data centres require massive amounts of power and cooling, Thailand must prioritise green energy solutions.

He said it was crucial to develop smart grids, energy storage, direct power purchase agreements and solar farms to guarantee that at least 30% of the energy powering this digital infrastructure comes from renewable sources.

Small local businesses should act like “insects riding an elephant” by strategically partnering and integrating with large enterprises, Mr Djitt added.

Furthermore, Thailand must urgently build up its talent pool in AI and robotics through academic collaborations and clusters such as the UTCC AI Institute.

Chanwit Boonchuay, president of the AI Entrepreneur Association of Thailand, said the AI market in Thailand is worth 50 billion baht, of which 200-300 local AI companies only capture roughly 2-3 billion baht, leaving the vast majority of the revenue to foreign back-end providers.

AI Institute

Thanavath Phonvichai, president of UTCC, said that to prepare for the future the university adopted an “AI first” approach, integrating AI into 100% of its courses. The school’s roadmap has progressed from being a generative AI university to being an “AI with data-driven” university, he said.

Recognising that 1% of students studying AI and information and communication technology is insufficient, UTCC aims to push that number to 10%, transforming Thai business expertise into AI assets that directly support Thai enterprises, Mr Thanavath said.

The institute is to serve as a university-level platform for applied AI for business, linking education, research, innovation, industry and international networks, he noted.

UTCC has introduced the Thai industry AI transformation initiative, the AI solution factory and digital workforce lab, and the AI talent for Thailand project. These initiatives are part of a five-year roadmap to position the institute as a leading applied AI platform in Thailand and the region.

Tourism operators support using the land plot previously earmarked for an entertainment complex in Bangkok to attract foreign investors with the same concept excluding a casino, aiming to promote high-value tourism in line with a government pledge.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Tuesday the government intends to address long-standing structural weaknesses in the economy, particularly insufficient investment by both the public and private sectors.

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said the association was appointed last week to a new public-private joint committee organised by the Tourism and Sports Ministry to propel the tourism industry, and it plans to submit a proposal to encourage investment in new attractions.

He said the project on a 520-rai plot owned by the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) to develop an entertainment complex still holds promise, which was an initiative backed by the Pheu Thai-led government.

The land is located inside Klong Toey Port along the Chao Phraya River in the heart of the city.

While the political landscape has changed, with the Bhumjaithai Party firmly rejecting the legalisation of casinos in Thailand, Mr Thienprasit said the project should proceed without gambling facilities.

Large plots appropriate for an entertainment complex in Bangkok are rare, especially along the river, making it ideal for both land and sea transport if the PAT can build a Bangkok Port Passenger Cruise Terminal as planned, he said.

“The location can attract investors to develop comprehensive facilities to draw visitors, such as meeting spaces for large concerts, hotels, sport fields, or an amusement park,” said Mr Thienprasit.

While investing in new facilities outside the capital may help with distribution of income, those locations cannot match Bangkok in terms of infrastructure and they would require enormous government investment in both money and time to establish a large complex elsewhere, he noted.

Many events could fill such a complex, such as international concerts that still lack a suitable venue in Bangkok, as well as conventions and meetings that require large spaces in one location, said Mr Thienprasit.

Visitors to this complex would also help to drive tourism businesses across Bangkok and other provinces, as they would stay in hotels and take post-event trips, he said.

The upcoming 2026 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings will offer proof of this theory, said Mr Thienprasit, as most five-star hotels and several others are fully booked for the event in October.

In addition to brick-and-mortar investment, he said the government should make greater efforts to raise tourism standards if the country wants to achieve high-value tourism.

The perception of quality of life in Thailand remains poor and does not meet tourists’ expectations, particularly among families, noted Mr Thienprasit.

For instance, the government should decisively ban the sale of cannabis for recreational use and strictly enforce the law, as this issue has already harmed tourism in Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya, with families consistently complaining to hotel operators in those destinations about people smoking in public spaces, he noted.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has designated local government recruitment exam scandal a special case, citing its scale, complexity and the large number of people implicated.

The case centres on score manipulation and bribery during recruitment exams organised last year by the Department of Local Administration (DLA) under the Interior Ministry.

The initial evidence suggests senior officials, exam organisers, brokers and candidates who paid for altered scores were all involved, Surapong Intharathaworn, the NACC secretary-general, said on Wednesday.

The NACC has established four investigative committees to probe senior DLA officials; other civil servants responsible for exam organisation and results; non-official actors, including brokers and candidates who paid for doctored scores; and other individuals linked to the wrongdoing.

The NACC will coordinate with the police and the Department of Special Investigation to strengthen the inquiry, Mr Surapong said.

The existence of what appears to be an organised corruption network has seriously undermined public confidence in the integrity of civil service recruitment, he said. It warrants an intensive investigation to identify those who orchestrated, facilitated and benefited from the operation, he added.

The exam scandal first came to light following the arrest of 10 people, mostly civil servants, at a house in Nonthaburi last month. They were found tampering with about 3,000 answer sheets to make them match the announced scores of exam sitters who had passed the nationwide recruitment process.

Further investigation revealed an organised network that collected bribes ranging from 350,000 to 800,000 baht, depending on the desired positions, from people seeking to ensure they got a passing grade.

The Interior Ministry has since found that around 5,000 candidates had scores on their scanned answer sheets that did not match the scores published in the official results following an initial review of more than 15,000 successful candidates who had already been appointed to local government positions.

The NACC investigation could take months or even years, but Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said that if the Interior Ministry finds clear evidence of cheating, it can immediately sack offenders and take back their salaries.

Reforms on the agenda

Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt on Wednesday chaired the inaugural meeting of a fact-finding and legal review committee established to examine the scandal and recommend reforms.

Mr Pakorn described local administration as a cornerstone of Thailand’s democratic system and decentralisation goals, saying the fraud had severely damaged public trust in local governance and the merit-based recruitment system.

He likened corruption to ‘a cancer’, warning that it had devastated Thailand’s local government system and posed a serious threat to decentralisation, one of the constitution’s fundamental principles.

He said the committee had a rare opportunity to ‘clean house’ by identifying systemic weaknesses and preventing similar abuses from recurring.

He said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had instructed him to pursue the matter rigorously.

While criminal investigations by the NACC and disciplinary proceedings by the Interior Ministry would continue independently, the committee would focus on closing loopholes, strengthening recruitment safeguards and addressing serious ethical violations by civil servants, said Mr Pakorn.

He said the panel had been given 30 days to complete its work, with an initial report to be submitted to the prime minister by July 15 and a second report by July 27.

The committee will work alongside various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to develop recommendations aimed at preventing similar scandals in the future.

Kiatnakin Phatra Securities (KKPS), the brokerage arm of Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group (KKP), expects the combined loan portfolio of Thailand’s three virtual banks to reach 200 billion baht in 5-6 years.

Given the Bank of Thailand’s requirement that each virtual bank increase its registered capital to 10 billion baht during the second phase of operations, from at least 5 billion baht on the day the business commences, bringing the combined registered capital to 30 billion baht, KKPS expects the three lenders to expand their total loan portfolio to around 200 billion baht within 5-6 years.

However, the profitability of virtual banks will depend largely on their business models, particularly their sources of income. Based on a study of 45 virtual banks worldwide, the brokerage found the average break-even period ranges from 1-9 years, said Sarachada Sornsong, an equity analyst at KKPS.

Globally, virtual banks typically begin by offering deposit products before expanding to other financial services, including lending, insurance and investment products. While lending is the primary driver of profitability, virtual banks generally require more time to build their loan portfolios and generate sustainable earnings.

During the first three years of operation, virtual banks in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, have generally focused on growing deposits rather than expanding lending.

KKPS said it will continue to monitor the lending strategies of the three Thai virtual banks, which are expected to focus on providing loans to unserved and underserved customers in line with central bank objectives. The brokerage expects the banks to begin with unsecured lending before gradually expanding into secured loans.

According to KKPS, the Thai banking industry had a total outstanding loan portfolio of 22.6 trillion baht as of February 2026. Commercial banks accounted for 66.6% of the total, while specialised financial institutions (SFIs) represented the remaining 33.4%.

The industry’s consumer finance portfolio, comprising credit cards, nanofinance, vehicle title loans, unsecured personal loans and digital personal loans, totalled 1.43 trillion baht. Unsecured and digital personal loans accounted for the largest share, representing 34% of the portfolio.

As of February 2026, total outstanding deposits in Thailand’s banking sector totalled 24.7 trillion baht. Commercial banks accounted for 71.7% of total deposits, while SFIs held 28.3%, according to KKPS.

“For the initial stage, we expect the lending services of local virtual banks to help narrow the gap between formal and informal lending. Informal lending currently accounts for around 16% of Thai GDP,” Ms Sarachada said.

Although virtual banks are expected to improve financial inclusion, KKPS said the success of the new banking model will depend largely on effective risk management, particularly debt collection. The firm believes the ability to manage credit quality and collect overdue debt will be among the biggest challenges facing virtual banks.

Thailand’s strong digital readiness is expected to support the expansion of virtual banking services. Ms Sarachada said the country has 92.2 million PromptPay registrations, while mobile banking and e-money penetration have reached 229% and 181%, respectively, based on the number of accounts, providing a solid foundation for virtual banks’ growth.

In June 2025, the central bank announced the three successful applicants to establish the country’s first batch of virtual banks. The winners were ACM Holding Co (TrueMoney), backed by the Charoen Pokphand Group; Krungthai Bank (KTB), in collaboration with Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) and PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc (OR); and the SCB X consortium, which includes South Korea’s KakaoBank and WeBank.

The regulator originally required operations to commence in June this year, but later agreed to extend the deadline for banks to start operations by one year, until June 2027.

Clicx Bank Plc, a virtual bank jointly established by KTB, AIS and OR, is the first virtual bank applicant to obtain a licence to operate, and began operations in mid-June.

Thailand seeks to deepen defence, cybersecurity and academic cooperation with the United States while maintaining its neutral foreign policy and supporting a peaceful, rules-based Indo-Pacific, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told reporters during an official visit to Hawaii on Monday.

Mr Sihasak was visiting the United States from July 5-7 at the invitation of Admiral Samuel J Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command. The trip aims to strengthen Thailand-US defence and security cooperation, exchange views on regional and global developments, and address emerging security challenges.

He said Thailand recognises the growing importance of national defence and military readiness as conflicts intensify worldwide, while stressing the need for all parties to work together to preserve peace and stability, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

Describing the region as the centre of the global economy, he said Asean, China and the United States all have vital roles in maintaining regional security.

“The United States plays an important role in maintaining the regional balance of power. It also recognises Thailand as its oldest security ally in Asia,” he said, noting that bilateral cooperation has evolved beyond its Cold War focus on containing communism.

Mr Sihasak reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to a rules-based international order and multilateralism, saying that Bangkok hopes strategic competition between the United States and China remains peaceful and stable, as relations between the two powers are critical to global and regional security.

“Our position is to uphold international law and the rules-based order. We will not take sides, but will strengthen Thailand and Asean so they can navigate major-power competition while maintaining balanced relations with both the United States and China,” he said.

Thailand and the United States are also expanding cybersecurity cooperation, particularly to combat online scam networks, he said.

While Thailand has no intention of threatening other countries, the military must continue modernising its capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty, he said.

The United States remains a key defence partner and a major source of military equipment, with procurement plans covering the army, navy and air force.

Mr Sihasak was also scheduled to meet the chairperson of the East-West Centre to explore new areas of Thailand-US cooperation in response to evolving global challenges.

He acknowledged that bilateral ties had cooled during periods of Thailand’s domestic political uncertainty. Still, he said the country’s improved political environment and more active international engagement provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the longstanding partnership.

Mr Sihasak said he hoped the visit would deepen the US understanding of Thailand’s regional role and strengthen bilateral ties despite differences on some issues.

Thailand’s collapsing birth rate is fast becoming an economic and political test, as Generation Z weighs the cost of children against rent, debt, insecure jobs and the small matter of staying sane.

The country recorded about 416,500 births last year, while deaths rose to more than 559,000, leaving Thailand’s population shrinking and policymakers short of easy answers. For a country that once worried about crowded classrooms, the new concern is what happens when there are not enough young people to fill them.

This shift helps explain a strange Bangkok contrast. Shopping malls remain packed, cafes are busy and delivery riders are everywhere, yet schools, hospitals and employers are already looking at a thinner selection of future workers. The baby pram has become less a family accessory and more an economic signal on wheels.

Among younger Thais, the decision is less about rejecting family life than refusing to enter it unprepared. Deloitte’s survey found that many Thai Generation Z and Millennial respondents have delayed major life decisions, including starting a family, because of financial pressure. Love may be free, but nappies, school fees and a condominium near the train line are very much not. Many of them find having cats and dogs is a lot easier than having kids.

Many young Thais are speaking a different language from their parents when it comes to work, money and family. Parenthood is no longer seen as the automatic next step after marriage, but as a major life project that requires savings, time, emotional energy and a very patient bank account.

For Generation Z, mental health, burnout and work life balance are not side issues. They are part of the calculation. Many want stable jobs, affordable homes, decent wages and enough personal freedom before having children. They are not rejecting babies so much as rejecting the pressure to raise them in uncertain conditions.

In short, they are not necessarily anti baby. They are anti chaos, anti debt and deeply wary of any life plan that begins with a housing loan, continues with childcare bills and ends with a toddler screaming at 3am while the parents try to answer work messages.

The economic timing could hardly be more awkward. The Bank of Thailand expects growth to remain modest, with expansion forecast at 2.3 per cent in 2026 and 1.8 per cent in 2027. A shrinking workforce would make that challenge harder, especially for an economy already facing pressure from ageing, household debt and uneven income growth.

Politicians are starting to understand that population policy is no longer a soft social issue. It is about tax revenue, welfare costs, labour supply and whether Thailand can remain competitive as its society gets older. The government’s Every Birth Matters campaign may sound reassuring, but slogans do not pay rent or cover childcare.

Thailand’s newest political battleground may therefore be the empty nursery. Its potential residents cannot vote, cry at press conferences or trend on social media, at least not yet. But their absence is already speaking loudly.

For Generation Z voters, the message is clear. If the state wants more babies, it must first make adult life feel affordable. That means better wages, more secure work, affordable homes, childcare support and policies that make raising children compatible with modern working life.

An interprovincial passenger bus on the Bangkok-Nan route was completely destroyed after catching fire in Bang Rakam district of Phitsanulok province early Wednesday but all 21 passengers on board successfully escaped unharmed.

The fire broke out at about 2.10am at a petrol station on Highway 117 inbound to Phitsanulok near the Yang Ped police booth.

Wang Intok tambon administration organisation dispatched water trucks to assist firefighters after the blaze engulfed the air-conditioned bus, operated by Nakhon Chair Air Co.

Firefighters spent about 30 minutes bringing the flames under control, but the bus was extensively damaged.

No injuries or fatalities were reported. Authorities confirmed that all 21 passengers aboard the bus were safely evacuated.

Police investigators and forensic officers were sent to examine the scene.

Initial findings were that the fire was caused by an electrical short beneath the driver’s seat, which triggered a burst that subsequently spread throughout the vehicle.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has resolved to indict a police colonel and five others over an alleged scheme to demand 6 million baht in exchange for securing bail for a British national detained on immigration charges.

The NACC said on Tuesday that the commission had found grounds to prosecute Pol Col Rames Kaewsoongnern, Witthaya Somsrisomsakul and four others for allegedly soliciting payment in return for influencing state officials to secure the release of British national Ritesh Patel.

According to the NACC, Mr Patel was arrested by Operational Unit 2 officers on June 27, 2022, and detained at the Phuket Immigration Office after allegedly entering Thailand using another person’s travel information. He later asked Thirawan Khieongam to present his passport, which had been cancelled by the embassy and his visa revoked.

Mr Patel was transferred the following day to the Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok, after which Ms Thirawan sought help from a third party to arrange his bail.

The investigation found the third party contacted Mr Witthaya on June 29.

Claiming to know Pol Col Rames, who could secure Mr Patel’s release, Mr Witthaya allegedly requested an initial payment of 1 million baht, which Ms Thirawan transferred to the bank account of Apirak Thiangtham.

Mr Witthaya later allegedly demanded a further 5 million baht, saying a total of 6 million baht was needed to coordinate the bail through Pol Col Rames and immigration officials.

Ms Thirawan transferred the money to the accounts of Nattanaree Boonma and Thipsuda Insongjai. But Mr Patel was never released.

The NACC said investigators later traced the funds to accounts belonging to Mr Witthaya, Pol Col Rames and the officer’s wife, Booraya Kaewsoongnern.

The commission found grounds to charge Mr Witthaya under Section 143 of the Criminal Code and the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption.

Thailand start the third and final week of the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2026 in Osaka, Japan, today, with captain Pornpun Guedpard setting a bold target of securing two wins despite facing world-class opponents.

The Thais take on the United States in the opening match today before facing hosts Japan tomorrow, Brazil on July 12 and Turkey on July 13.

Head coach Kiatipong Ratchatakriengkrai said that this week is crucial for the team’s preparations for the Asian Championship, which will take place next month.

Setter and team captain Pornpun said her goal is to lead the team to victory in at least two matches, despite facing four top-ranked teams this week.

The Americans lead the 18-team standings on 20 points after seven wins, while Brazil are second with the same number of wins and points. Hosts Japan are fifth with six wins and 16 points, and Turkey are sixth with six wins and 15 points.

Thailand, with two wins, are in 14th place with nine points. The last-placed team will be relegated.

The team for this week includes 14 main players: Pornpun, Natthanicha Jaisaen, Piyanut Pannoy, Kalyarat Khamwong, Thatdao Nuekjang, Wimonrat Thanapan, Kaewkalaya Kamulthala, Pimpichaya Kokram, Papatchaya Phonthom, Ajcharaporn Kongyot, Sasipaporn Janthawisut, Warisara Seetaloed, Nannaphat Moonjakham, and Jidapa Nahuanong, and four reserve players: Kanyarat Khunmuang, Supawadee Panwilai, Nirarach Srikuta and Serah Ankomah.